Biochemical abnormalities of the ocular surface epithelium are present in a number of disease states, and may lead to the specific signs and symptoms characteristic of the disease. Present therapeutic measures directed toward alleviating these problems are relatively ineffective. In rare cases, such abnormalities may be most apparent in the glycolytic metabolism of the tissues, preventing adequate maintenance of the ocular surface epithelial cells. Conjunctival inability to transform into corneal epithelium may contribute to failure of the epithelialization in some cases and may also be related to increased superficial vascularization observed after penetrating wounds in eyes with conjunctivally derived regenerated epithelium. Furthermore, there are reports that diabetes may be characterized by corneal epithelial functional and biochemical abnormalities. We propose, therefore, (1) to study the role of glucose and glycogen metabolism in normal and diseased epithelial tissues demonstrating abnormalities of re-epithelialization, (2) to document epithelial regeneration rates in such tissues, and (3) to determine whether retention of healthy ocular surface epithelium will improve the prognosis in some cases where host epithelium may be diseased. Other methods of epithelial renewal, as in conjunctival transplantation, have proved useful in restoring ocular surface integrity.